New York Governor Considers Banning Face Masks on Subways

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is considering banning face masks for riders using the city’s subway system because she has received reports of antisemitic incidents perpetrated by people wearing masks.

During a news conference Thursday, Hochul said she had started speaking to lawmakers about the possibility of drafting a bill. But she acknowledged that the issue was complicated, since many people wear masks for health, religious, and cultural reasons. The governor said she was looking into this issue after “a group donning masks took over a subway car, scaring riders and chanting things about Hitler and wiping out Jews” on Monday night.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

That wasn’t the only incident that’s happened, though, as the governor’s office said that incidents involving masked individuals making threats on the subway have been widely reported.

“We will not tolerate individuals using masks to evade [responsibility] for criminal or threatening behavior,” Hochul said during the news conference. “My team is working on a solution, but on a subway, people should not be able to hide behind a mask to commit crimes.”

“There’s obviously a problem here,” she added.. “This will be dealt with.”

Read More: New York’s Mayor Wants to Make People Take Their Face Masks Off Following a String of Robberies

Hochul said if a bill was drafted, there would be “common sense exceptions.”

While many people have stopped wearing face masks since the number of COVID-19 cases have declined, others still use them in public settings, including on the subway. Masks were required for subway riders during the pandemic, up until September 2022.

“I assure everyone, we understand how complex this issue is,” Hochul said. “And we’re just listening to people and addressing their needs and taking them very seriously. So we’ll be reporting more on that in the near future as well.”

source https://time.com/6988877/new-york-governor-face-mask-ban/

10 Surprising Facts About Trooping the Colour as Kate Middleton is Set to Attend

The annual Trooping the Colour event, which celebrates the official birthday of the Sovereign in the United Kingdom, takes place on Saturday, June 15 this year. Though King Charles III’s actual birthday is on November 14, Trooping the Colour has been the ceremonial celebration of the monarch’s birthday since 1748.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

The event is performed annually with a Horse Guards Parade in London, England, by regiments of the Household Division. The event is marked with the King conducting an inspection of his troops. This year, after his diagnosis with cancer, Charles is set to review the troops of his King’s Birthday Parade from an Ascot Landau carriage rather than on horseback, as he did in last year’s celebration

On Friday, Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, released a personal message, stating she will be attending The King’s Birthday Parade, after all. This will be the Princess’s first public-facing attendance since she attended the Christmas Day 2023 celebrations in Sandringham. Though the royal stated she is “not out of the woods yet,” regarding her own diagnosis of cancer following a planned abdominal surgery earlier this year, she said she is making good progress and is looking forward to Saturday’s parade. She is hoping to attend a few other events this summer as well.

“I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty,” Middleton wrote in the personal message. “Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.”

I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months. It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times.

I am making good progress, but as anyone going… pic.twitter.com/J1jTlgwRU8

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 14, 2024

Here are 10 surprising facts about the annual Trooping the Colour event.

Trooping the Colour was not always about the Monarch’s birthday

According to The Household Division—the division of the British Army that perform State Ceremonial and public-facing duties, especially in London and Windsor— the ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have been performed first during King Charles II’s reign in the 17th century, when the colors (flags) of the battalion were carried down the ranks so that they could be recognized by all soldiers.

In 1748, it was decided that this parade would be used to mark the official birthday of the Sovereign. Eventually, it became an annual event after George III became King in 1760.

There are two ceremonial rehearsals before the big day

Each year, the full parade is actually conducted three times on consecutive weekends. This year, the first occasion, known as The Major General’s Review, took place on June 1, and the second occasion, The Colonel’s Review, took place on June 8.

In The Major General’s Review, the salute is taken by the Major-General commanding the Household Division. In the Colonel’s Review, the salute is taken by the Royal Colonel of the regiment whose color is being trooped— this year that was the Irish Guards

The Princess of Wales was originally set to salute the Irish Guards (a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army) this year during The Colonel’s Review, but did not attend. Lieutenant General James Bucknall, the former commander of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, took her place to perform the salute.

Still, she sent a heartfelt letter to the Irish Guards, wishing them luck on their final rehearsal and apologizing for her absence.

The Irish Guards were deeply touched to receive a letter from our Colonel, Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales this morning.
We continue to wish Her Royal Highness well in her recovery and send Her our very best wishes.
Quis Separabit@KensingtonRoyal@ArmyInLondon pic.twitter.com/KQUgB1RmBE

— Irish Guards (@irish_guards) June 8, 2024

There were certain occasions where Queen Elizabeth II did not take part in the parade

The late Queen Elizabeth II took part in the parade throughout her reign, except for in 1955, when the event was canceled due to a national rail strike, and 2020 and 2021, due to the pandemic. The Queen appeared on the balcony for the event in 2022, but let Charles, then the Prince of Wales, take the parade.

The Queen rode on her favorite horse called Burmese from 1969 until the horse retired in 1986.

In 1981, the Queen had a scare at the annual ceremony 

In 1981, a 17-year-old Marcus Serjeant pointed his pistol at the Queen as she rode down in the Horseguards’ Parade, and shot six blanks.

Though Burmese was visibly startled by the shots, the Queen was unharmed. After Serjeant was seized by the police and guardsman, he reportedly said, “I wanted to be famous. I wanted to be somebody.”

The horses of the Household Cavalry are unique 

The horses in the King’s Birthday Parade are known as the Household Cavalry, and have been taking part in ceremonial occasions since 1660. They are often carefully selected to have good weight, temperament, and presentation.

Each horse is trained for several months at the Household Cavalry Training Wing in Windsor and the Hyde Park Barracks in London, which includes both basic training and riding the horses through the streets to desensitize them to loud noises, cars, and people.

In April, four horses training in the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment broke loose and bolted across London. The British Army has confirmed that three of these horses—Tennyson, Trojan and Vanquish—will be taking part in the parade on Saturday.

More From TIME

[video id=b4DhRPU2 autostart="viewable"]

The royal family line-up will be interesting

In the past, Trooping the Colour has been a very popular public-facing event for certain members of the royal family as they gather on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the parade. This year, things may look slightly different.

For the second year in a row, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will likely not be in attendance, according to a report by People on June 4, and neither will the Duke of York. 

After much speculation, though, the Prince and Princess of Wales are now set to attend the event, alongside Charles and Queen Camilla.

Trooping the Colour is one of the largest military events of the year

The sheer size of the military parade, and the pageantry of it, makes this event unique. 

Over 1,400 officers and soldiers form the parade, together with 200 horses; over 400 musicians from ten bands and Corps of Drums march and play in unison, their tunes ringing for all onlookers. The assembled military perform drills to 113 spoken commands. The Household Division’s official site calls it “this impressive display of pageantry.”

Viewers can watch in-person or online

In-person onlookers hoping to catch a glimpse of the parade are advised to stand on The Mall or on the edge of St James’ Park overlooking Horse Guards Parade from 9:00 a.m. local time.

The U.K. network, the BBC, will broadcast the event for virtual onlookers. That coverage is set to  begin at 10:30 a.m. local time,  and The Daily Mail’s online portal will host a livestream on its YouTube channel starting at 8 a.m. 

Trooping the Colour was first broadcast by BBC Radio in 1927 with commentary by Major J. B. S. Bourne-May, a retired officer of the Coldstream Guards.

The whole event will last over two hours

Trooping the Colour will officially begin at 10:30 a.m., but troops will start to gather in London at 10:00 a.m. ahead of the royal family’s departure from Buckingham Palace. The ceremony will last two-and-a-half hours, and is officially set to end just after 1:00 p.m.

It will begin with the King examining the troops, and being greeted by a Royal Salute on Horse Guards Parade and a 41 Gun Salute fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from Green Park.

At the end, the King will join his family on the Buckingham Palace balcony, as they all watch a fly-past performed by the Royal Air Force.

Ahead of Trooping the Colour next week, The King has presented New Colours to No. 9 and No. 12 Company The Irish Guards at Windsor Castle.

His Majesty is Colonel-in-Chief of the seven Guards regiments of the Household Division, who are often seen on duty at the Royal Palaces. pic.twitter.com/n51XCSCNKk

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 10, 2024

There is a dress code for those attending in-person

According to the Household Division, the event is a formal State Ceremonial Parade in the presence of His Majesty The King and therefore those attending are expected to dress accordingly.

Military personnel are expected to wear their ceremonial attire, but the public are also expected to dress nicely.

The dress code states: “Morning dress; lounge suit; or jacket, tie & trousers for gentlemen / equivalent for ladies,” specifying no denim, shorts, or sandals.

source https://time.com/6988837/trooping-the-colour-10-surprising-facts/

Dozens of Hikers Became Ill During Trips to Waterfalls Near the Grand Canyon

Dozens of hikers say they fell ill during trips to a popular Arizona tourist destination that features towering blue-green waterfalls deep in a gorge neighboring Grand Canyon National Park.

Madelyn Melchiors, a 32-year-old veterinarian from Kingman, Arizona, said she was vomiting severely Monday evening and had a fever that endured for days after camping on the Havasupai reservation.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

She eventually hiked out to her car in a weakened state through stiflingly hot weather and was thankful a mule transported her pack several miles up a winding trail, she said.

“I said, ‘If someone can just pack out my 30-pound pack, I think I can just limp along,’” said Melchiors, an experienced and regular backpacker. Afterward, “I slept 16 hours and drank a bunch of electrolytes. I’m still not normal, but I will be OK. I’m grateful for that.”

The federal Indian Health Service said Thursday that a clinic it oversees on the reservation is providing timely medical attention to people who became ill. Environmental health officers with the regional IHS office were sent to Havasupai to investigate the source of the outbreak and to implement measures to keep it from spreading, the agency said.

“Our priority is the health and well-being of the Havasupai residents and visitors, and we are working closely with local health authorities and other partners to manage this situation effectively,” the agency said in a statement.

While camping, Melchiors said she drank from a spring that is tested and listed as potable, as well as other sources using a gravity-fed filter that screens out bacteria and protozoa – but not viruses.

“I did a pretty good job using hand sanitizer” after going to the bathroom, she said. “It’s not like you can use soap or water easily.”

Coconino County health officials said Tuesday they received a report from a group of people who hiked to the waterfalls of “gastrointestinal illness” but didn’t know how many people have been affected. The tribe’s land is outside the county’s jurisdiction.

Still, county health spokesperson Trish Lees said hikers should take extra precautions to prevent the spread of illness, including filtering water.

“Watch for early symptoms of norovirus, such as stomach pain and nausea, before the trip. Norovirus spreads easily on camping trips, especially when clean water supplies can be limited and hand washing facilities may be non-existent. Isolate people who are sick from other campers,” the county said.

Thousands of tourists travel to the Havasupai reservation each year to camp near a series of picturesque waterfalls. The reservation is remote and accessible only by foot, helicopter, or by riding a horse or mule.

The hike takes tourists 8 miles (13 kilometers) down a winding trail through desert landscape before they reach the first waterfall. Then comes the village of Supai, where about 500 tribal members live year-round. Another 2 miles (3 kilometers) down the trail are campsites with waterfalls on both ends.

Tourism is a primary source of revenue for the Havasupai Tribe. The campground that has a creek running through it has limited infrastructure. The hundreds of daily overnight campers can use composting toilets on site and are asked to pack out refuse. Recent accounts from hikers on social media indicate trails are littered with garbage, including bathroom tissue, plastic bottles and fuel canisters.

The Havasupai Tribe Tourism Office says it tested the water last week from a local spring that visitors rely on for drinking and found it was safe for human consumption.

FOX-10 TV in Phoenix first reported on the illnesses Wednesday, saying some groups opted to take a helicopter out of the canyon because they were too sick to hike out.

Dozens of other people have posted on social media in recent days describing their travails with gastrointestinal problems.

“I definitely have a literally bitter taste in my mouth right now,” Melchiors said. “I think I would approach things a little bit differently.”

___ Sonner reported from Reno, Nevada. Lee reported from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

source https://time.com/6988508/dozens-of-hikers-became-ill-during-trips-to-waterfalls-near-the-grand-canyon/

You Can Now Renew Your U.S. Passport Online. Here’s How

If you’re a U.S. citizen, you may be able to renew your passport online now.

The updated online passport renewal system is being rolled out on a beta basis over the next several months, the U.S. Department of State said. The department said that it is preparing for an official launch of the updated system, but did not give a timeline for when it will be fully implemented. The beta version was launched Wednesday. Travelers who submit online will not be able to travel internationally for at least eight weeks from the date they submit a renewal application because of the system’s beta status.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

President Biden signed an executive order in 2021 to allow online passport renewal as part of pandemic recovery efforts; but when the program rolled out in 2022, it was temporarily halted—until now.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new process.

Who is eligible?

The department said that people who want to renew their passport online must meet several different requirements, including that their passport has been valid for 10 years (issued between 2009 and 2015), they are 25 or older, and they are not changing their name, gender, or place of birth. 

Check out the full list of requirements, here. If you do not meet these requirements, you can renew your passport by mail or in person at a passport agency or center, the department said.

Read More: How Long Does It Take to Get a Passport? Here’s What You Need to Know

When can I submit my application?

The department warned that you may not be able to start your application on the day you choose; the online system will only be open for a limited window in the middle of the day (eastern time) seven days a week, and the system will close once the department reaches its limit that day. The department did not specify what the limit is, but said that it will be limiting the number of applications it takes each day so that it “can monitor the system’s performance in real time.” It emphasized that limiting the number of applications each day is “an important and standard part of the software development process.”

The limited service will run for the next several months.

The department said that if you are not able to start your application on a specific day, you should try to do so on another day. The processing time for a renewed passport will be the same as if you were renewing by mail

How can you apply?

To apply for a passport renewal online, you can create an account on the MyTravelGov homepage, and then click on the “Renew Your Passport” button on the homepage to start the application. You can save your application and finish filling it out later, but you have 30 days to complete your application after you start it, otherwise you will need to start over, the department said.

You will have to enter information from your most recent passport as part of your application. The department advised that it may experience temporary technical issues, as the system first launches.

You will need to enter your travel plans as part of the application process so the department can ensure that you meet the online renewal requirements. You will also need to upload an original, digital photo in .JPEG file format (it cannot be a selfie, and it cannot be a scan photo or a photo of an already printed photo).

You can go to the Online Passport Status System to opt to receive email updates about the status of your application. The department will notify you when your application is in process, approved, and when it sends your passport. It will also notify you if it needs more information to process your application.

Get alerts on the biggest breaking news stories here

source https://time.com/6988472/us-passport-online-renewal-state-department/

Hezbollah Fires Rockets at Northern Israel Amid Negotiations for Gaza Ceasefire

BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Hezbollah fired a massive barrage of rockets into northern Israel on Wednesday to avenge the killing of a top commander, further escalating regional tensions as the fate of an internationally-backed plan for a ceasefire in Gaza hung in the balance.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

The retaliatory attack came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in the region to push a ceasefire proposal with global support that has not been fully embraced by Israel or Hamas. The militant group submitted its first official response late Tuesday, requesting “amendments” to the deal.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed ally of Hamas, has traded fire with Israel nearly every day since the 8-month-long Israel-Hamas war began and says it will only stop if there is a truce in Gaza. That has raised fears of an even more devastating regional conflagration.

Air raid sirens sounded across northern Israel, and the military said that about 160 projectiles were fired from southern Lebanon, making it one of the largest attacks since the fighting began. There were no immediate reports of casualties as some were intercepted while others ignited brush fires.

Hezbollah said it fired missiles and rockets at two military bases in retaliation for the killing of Taleb Sami Abdullah, 55. Known within Hezbollah as Hajj Abu Taleb, he is the most senior commander killed since the fighting began eight months ago. The Israeli strike destroyed a house where Abdullah and three other officials were meeting, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border, late Tuesday.

Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon have killed over 400 people, most of them Hezbollah members, but the dead also include more than 70 civilians and non-combatants. On the Israeli side, 15 soldiers and 10 civilians have been killed since the war in Gaza began.

Other groups allied with Iran, including powerful militias in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, have also attacked Israeli, U.S. and other targets since the start of the war, often drawing Western retaliation. In April, Israel and Iran traded fire directly for the first time.

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has said the best way to calm regional tensions is for Hamas to accept a proposal for a phased ceasefire that it says would end of the war in Gaza and bring about the release of the remaining hostages abducted in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that ignited the war. The U.N. Security Council voted overwhelmingly in favor of the plan on Monday.

Biden says it is an Israeli proposal, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sent conflicting signals, saying Israel remains committed to destroying Hamas. It’s unclear how it would do that if the U.S.-backed proposal, which includes an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, is fully implemented.

Read More: For Antony Blinken, the War in Gaza Is a Test of U.S. Power

Hamas has expressed support for the broad outline of the deal but wariness over whether Israel would implement its terms, particularly provisions for an eventual permanent end to fighting and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Hamas said Tuesday that it gave mediators its reply to the proposal, which appeared to be short of outright acceptance but kept negotiations alive. Qatar and Egypt, which have been key mediators alongside the United States, said mediators were studying it.

Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha said the response included “amendments that confirm the ceasefire, withdrawal, reconstruction and (prisoner) exchange.” Taha did not elaborate.

Blinken, who is on his eighth visit to the region since the start of the war, headed to Qatar on Wednesday to follow up on the negotiations.

The proposal has raised hopes of ending a conflict in which Israel’s bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza have killed over 37,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, and driven some 80% of the population of 2.3 million from their homes. Israeli restrictions and ongoing fighting have hindered efforts to bring humanitarian aid to the isolated coastal enclave, fueling widespread hunger.

Israel launched its campaign after Hamas and other militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 hostage. Over 100 hostages were released during a weeklong ceasefire last year in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Hamas is still holding around 120 hostages, a third of whom are believed to be dead.

Read More: Telling the Stories of Israel’s Hostage Nightmare

The proposal announced by Biden calls for a three-phase plan that would begin with a six-week ceasefire and the release of some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces would withdraw from populated areas and Palestinian civilians would be allowed to return to their homes.

Phase one also requires the safe distribution of humanitarian assistance “at scale throughout the Gaza Strip,” which Biden said would lead to 600 trucks of aid entering Gaza every day.

At the same time, negotiations would be launched over the second phase, which is to bring “a permanent end to hostilities, in exchange for the release of all other hostages still in Gaza, and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.”

Phase three would launch “a major multi-year reconstruction plan for Gaza and the return of the remains of any deceased hostages still in Gaza to their families.”

The militant group accepted a similar proposal last month that was rejected by Israel.

Netanyahu’s far-right coalition allies have rejected the latest proposal and have threatened to bring down his government if he ends the war leaving Hamas intact. But Netanyahu is also under mounting pressure to accept a deal to bring the hostages back. Thousands of Israelis, including families of the hostages, have demonstrated in favor of the U.S.-backed plan.

—Jeffery reported from Jerusalem.

source https://time.com/6987755/hezbollah-rockets-israel-gaza-ceasefire-negotiations/

Hunter Biden Found Guilty on Gun Charges

For the first time, a sitting President’s son has been convicted of a felony in a criminal trial.

A federal jury in Delaware on Tuesday found Hunter Biden guilty for lying about his drug use when buying a gun in 2018. Prosecutors had presented the jury with photos, testimony and messages that showed Biden had a .38 caliber Colt Cobra revolver for about 11 days during a period he had previously acknowledged he had been struggling with drug addiction.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

The jury deliberated for about three hours over two days and found Biden guilty of three felonies including making a false claim on a gun purchase form that he was not a drug user, lying to a federally licensed firearms dealer, and unlawfully possessing the weapon for 11 days.

First Lady Jill Biden arrived at the courthouse in Wilmington to show her support for Hunter Biden shortly after the verdict was read on Tuesday morning. His aunt Valerie Biden Owens and his uncle James Biden were also at the courthouse Tuesday. During closing arguments on Monday, President Biden had arranged his schedule so he would be at his home about 5 miles from the federal courthouse for most of the day before returning to the White House for a concert marking Juneteenth on the South Lawn.

Biden is the first sitting president to have to contend with running the country while their child was being prosecuted by their own Justice Department. The jury’s decision is not only a crushing blow to the President and his family, but throws an unpredictable wrench in a presidential race that could be a nail biter. Hunter Biden’s conviction comes less than two weeks after a Manhattan jury found former President Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony counts for falsifying business records to cover up hush money paid to a porn star. Democrats have expressed hope that Trump’s new status as a felon will undermine his appeal to swing voters. It’s unclear if the conviction of the current President’s own son will shift the contours of the contest.

Biden has repeatedly said he would not interfere with the judicial process in his son’s case, vowing to accept the jury’s verdict and ruling out using his authority to pardon Hunter. “I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal,” President Biden said in a statement released after the guilty verdict on Tuesday.

In his statement, Biden spoke directly to Hunter Biden’s struggle with drug addiction, saying that “so many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery.” Biden said that he and the First Lady will “always be there” for Hunter and the rest of their family. “Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today,” Biden said.

After the verdict, Hunter Biden said in a statement that he is “disappointed by the outcome” but “more grateful” for the love and support shown by his family and friends. He also referenced his efforts to recover from drug addiction. “Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time,” he said.

Biden’s defense team had argued in court that Biden bought the gun during a period of sobriety while he was swinging back and forth between drug use and rehabilitation. The defense also claimed that the federal form was too vague about what defined a drug user or how long before purchasing a gun a person was expected to have not used illegal drugs

But the jury believed Justice Department prosecutors had shown enough evidence that Hunter Biden was a drug user at the time of the purchase to convict him.

In his closing argument, prosecutor Leo Wise told jurors that no one was above the law and that the jury should take into account Hunter Biden’s pattern of drug use; evidence presented during the trial suggested he had used drugs weeks before purchasing the gun and in the days after.

[video id=2DAZBupw]

The trial shined a harsh spotlight on Hunter Biden’s internal family turmoil, particularly in the years following the death of his older brother Beau Biden from brain cancer in 2015. Hunter’s daughter Naomi as well as his brother’s widow Hallie were called to testify and exposed the turbulent times Hunter Biden went through as he struggled with drug addiction after his brother died. 

Hallie Biden had a brief, combustible relationship with Hunter Biden after Beau’s death. She told the jury how she found an unloaded handgun while searching Hunter’s truck in October 2018 and was worried Hunter might use it on himself or that her children might find it. So, she said, she took the gun and threw it away into a garbage can at a Wilmington grocery store. That set in motion a chain of events that resulted in Hunter Biden being charged with federal drug crimes.

Hallie had testified that she didn’t see him use drugs during the days immediately around the gun purchase. But prosecutors showed the jury a text message about drug use the day before he bought the gun and another message sent the day after.  

Hunter Biden also faces federal tax charges in Los Angeles for allegedly failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes on income from foreign businesses. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges. That case is set to go to trial in September.

The gun charges were brought after a years-long investigation by Department of Justice Special Counsel David Weiss, the U.S. Attorney for Delaware who was appointed by former President Donald Trump. Weiss initially began investigating Hunter Biden’s tax affairs in December 2020, weeks after Joe Biden won the 2020 election.

The decision by Weiss to bring the gun case to trial drew surprise in some legal circles, as it’s an offense that’s rarely prosecuted. Hunter Biden had previously reached an agreement with the Justice Department to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and avoid prosecution on the gun charge if he was willing to submit to probation, enter a diversion program, remain drug-free for 24 months, and agree to never own a firearm again. But that deal fell apart in court in July 2023.

source https://time.com/6987280/hunter-biden-guilty-gun-trial/

‘They’re Selling You Down the River.’ Musk Slams Apple Deal with OpenAI

Elon Musk took aim at Apple after it announced a partnership to use OpenAI’s technology on its devices. Musk took to his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to voice concerns about Apple potentially integrating OpenAI at the operating system level, after the tie-up was announced Monday, calling the deal a security risk. 

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

“If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies,” Musk wrote. “Visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the company’s new AI offering, which the company dubs “Apple Intelligence,” during the tech giant’s developers conference on June 10. Apple Intelligence will significantly expand Siri’s capabilities, but also add writing and image generation tools to Apple’s stock apps like Mail and Notes. The company also unveiled a new deal with OpenAI, which allows Apple to integrate ChatGPT directly into its digital assistant Siri and its generative AI tools. Cook said Apple plans to offer integration with other AI models in future.

During his presentation at the event, Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, emphasized privacy, saying that Apple Intelligence is aware of personal data without collecting it. However, Musk didn’t appear convinced.

“It’s patently absurd that Apple isn’t smart enough to make their own AI, yet is somehow capable of ensuring that OpenAI will protect your security & privacy!” he posted to X after Apple’s announcement. “Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI,” he added. “They’re selling you down the river.”

It’s patently absurd that Apple isn’t smart enough to make their own AI, yet is somehow capable of ensuring that OpenAI will protect your security & privacy!

Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They’re selling you down the river.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2024

Apple has already created its own AI models, which underpin many of the new features it announced this week, and run locally on-device. For more complex tasks, Apple uses its own larger models running on what it calls “Private Cloud Compute”. According to Apple, these servers do not store customer data, and only use it to verify requests. Approved volunteers appended this information to Musk’s post on X via a “Community Note”—a feature Musk has touted in the past as a way to combat misinformation.

“Private Cloud Compute uses your data only to fulfill your request, and never stores it, making sure it’s never accessible to anyone, including Apple. And we’ve designed the system so that independent experts can verify these protections,” Federighi said.

Alongside its own models, Apple will integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT into Siri and its new generative tools to prevent the need for “jumping between tools.” Apple said users will be asked before sharing any information with ChatGPT. A demonstration of the tool indicates that users will be prompted with the option to accept input from ChatGPT for each task.

Musk’s comments come amid heightened concerns over AI’s potential to infringe on user privacy. In May Microsoft drew criticism from a privacy watchdog for a new AI feature that would regularly capture users’ screens. Meta, sparked backlash recently when it introduced new terms, allowing it to train its AI models on data collected since 2007. 

Musk’s criticism of the deal is the latest development in an ongoing spat with OpenAI, which he helped co-found alongside the current CEO Sam Altman and three others in 2015. Musk left OpenAI in 2018 following a disagreement with the company’s leadership team over its future.  

Read More: Inside Elon Musk’s Struggle for the Future of AI

In February 2023, three months after the launch of ChatGPT, Musk criticized OpenAI, writing that it had become a “ maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft.” The following month, Altman called Musk a “jerk” on journalist Kara Swisher’s podcast, but also said he believed the Tesla CEO cared about AI and the future of humanity. Later that month, Musk was among the more-than 30,000 signatories to an open letter that called for a pause to training AI system’s larger than OpenAI’s GPT-4. Although the letter did not succeed in convincing top AI labs like OpenAI to halt these activities, it did highlight the growing concern over the potential risks posed by artificial intelligence.

In July 2023, Musk revealed his own artificial intelligence company, xAI. In November, it began previewing its own chatbot, Grok, to select X Premium users. In March 2024, xAI released Grok-1, an open-source AI model and xAI has subsequently raised $6 billion. That same month, Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman, alleging that they had violated the company’s founding principles by putting profit over benefiting humanity. OpenAI responded by releasing a trove of emails that show Musk supported the creation of a for-profit entity. OpenAI has denounced the court case, calling it “incoherent” and aimed at advancing Musk’s “commercial interests.” 

source https://time.com/6987391/elon-musk-apple-openai/